Children's Home run by Amicus Residential Care Ltd in Reading

Unique reference number SC059221 Inspection date 16/08/2011 Inspector Maureen Hamer Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 29/03/2011 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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About this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

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About this inspection

The report details the main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the Inspections of children’s homes – framework for inspection (March 2011) and the evaluation schedule for children's homes.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding : a service that significantly exceeds minimum requirements Good : a service that exceeds minimum requirements Satisfactory : a service that only meets minimum requirements Inadequate : a service that does not meet minimum requirements

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Brief description of the service

The home is privately run and provides emergency as well as long-term placements for up to three young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be satisfactory .

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Overall effectiveness

The committed staff team is focused on treating young people with respect and to develop a trusting relationship in which young people take responsibility for their behaviour. The staff use meaningful incentives to motivate young people to make positive changes. The staff are supported by the manager who also successfully collaborates with a range of partners to provide additional support for young people. Building positive relationships between the young people and their parents is a strength of this service.

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Overall effectiveness

The home does not always ensure that risk assessments and key worker notes are completed or up-dated. The staff team do not all have the necessary training to ensure that they are competent to care for young people including physical restraint training. All incidents that involve use of a physical restraint are not recorded in a volume. The Statement of Purpose does not reflect the assessment process prior to accommodating an emergency admission and the Children's Guide does not contain up-to-date details regarding the young person's Independent Reviewing Officer or Ofsted details. The home’s policy regarding room searches is not appropriately implemented, there is no development plan and monitoring is not sufficiently robust to improve the quality of care for young people.

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Children's Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that the Statement of Purpose complies in relation to the children's home with the matters listed in Schedule 1 particularly the home's policy and procedures for emergency admissions (Regulation (4) (1) Schedule (1)) 30/12/2011

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Reg. Requirement Due date

17B (2001) maintain within 24 hours of any use of any measure of control, restraint or discipline in a children's home, a written record is made in a volume kept for that purpose (Regulation (17) (b) 30/12/2011 (3) (4))

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that all persons employed by the registered person recieves appropriate training with particular reference to physical restraint training. (Regulation (27) (4) (a)) 30/12/2011

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

 implement the home's guidance regarding searches of a child's room (NMS 3.20)  implement a proportionate approach to risk assessment (4.5)  improve new staff undertaking the Children's Workforce Development Council's induction standards, commencing within 7 working days of starting their employment and being completed within 6 months (NMS 18.3)  ensure that all exiting staff have attained a minimum level 3 qualification. All new staff engaged from April 2011 are to hold the level 3 Children and young people's Workforce diploma within 6 months of confirmation of employment (NMS18.5)  include in the Children's Guide how a child can contact their Independent Reviewing Officer, the Children'[s Right's Director, Ofsted if they wish to raise a concern with inspectors, and how to secure access to an independent advocate (NMS 13.5)  devise a written development plan, reviewed annually, for the future of the home

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Recommendations

(NMS 15.2)  ensure that all records kept by the home to ensure compliance with the homes policies to identify any concerns about specific incidents and identify patterns and trends (NMS 21.2)  ensure that a child's placement plan is in place and monitored by a key worker within the home to ensure that the requirements of the plan are implemented in the day to-day care of the child. (NMS 25.2)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for children and young people are good .

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Outcomes for children and young people

Most young people make good progress regarding improved emotional well-being and self-confidence. Staff work with young people to understand the reasons for changes to their placement to help them to emotionally adapt and to settle into the home. Staff create a homely environment which young people appreciate and can relax. One young person commented: 'It’s good here, you have some freedom.' The young people do often respond to this environment in a positive manner they said 'I am given more responsibility, it’s good. 'Young people are beginning to show positive improvements in the behaviour, such as a reduction in going missing.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Staff successfully engage with the young people’s schools to support and improve their school attendance and to improve their educational attainment. A social worker commented: 'The home has played an important role in helping the young person access a college place.' In addition staff encourage young people to develop independence skills as they make the transition to adulthood.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are registered and engaged with local health services; this contributes to normalising young people’s lives. In addition access to a wide range of health related services helps young people make informed choices regarding their health related behaviours such as alcohol use. The home also works collaboratively with a broad range of services to meet young people’s needs such as the local drug agencies to provide young people with advice and support to reduce risk from harmful behaviours.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Staff support young people to maintain positive relationships with friends and family to promote their emotional well-being. A young person commented: 'I get to see my mum, things have got better, it’s good.'

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is satisfactory .

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Quality of care

Young people are engaged in their placement plans and reviews; this approach contributes to young people positively working with staff to make progress. Placement plans are not always completed when young people are accommodated. Key worker notes are not always completed and some important aspects of young people’s behaviour are not shared with all members of staff. Consequently effective behaviour management plans to reduce the risks to young people and staff from negative behaviours are not always developed.

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Quality of care

The home produces reports for the social worker and provides information for young people’s review. A social worker report that 'Staff relate well to the young people and keep me informed of any significant events.'

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Quality of care

House meetings are not always held on a regular basis but young people state that they are involved in changes in the home. The home has had some redecoration and the young people have been involved in deciding those changes and appreciate the improvements to their environment. Informal opportunities such as mealtimes are used to discuss issues with the young people. Staff listen to the young people’s views and respond to them in a constructive manner. There is one complaint which the records show was managed to the satisfaction of the complainant.

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Quality of care

Young people’s rooms are not always entered with the consent of the young person although young people stated that their rooms were their private space. Staff demonstrated some ambiguity as to the home's policy regarding when to inform young people of a room search when there is cause for concern and a room search is considered justified without prior warning to young people. This impacts on young people’s respect and dignity.

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Quality of care

Young people are encouraged to access activities and to develop interests to develop their self-confidence such as attending the local gym, with some success.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The service is satisfactory at keeping children and young people safe and feeling safe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people state that they feel safe. Staff are proactive in working with young people to avoid them going missing. Social worker stated 'The home has had a good impact on young people and has reduced the amount of incidents of young people being absent without permission.' Staff follow the home's going missing policy and promote the young people's safety when they do decide to be absent without permission.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people do report bullying has occurred and young people state that staff intervene to support the young person being bullied and to work with the bully to address their behaviour. Staff are not altogether clear as to the extent to which they should question a young person when there is a disclosure this may have negative consequences on any further investigation.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff provide a respectful environment in which young people with challenging behaviour usually respond positively. This has led to the levels of challenging behaviour by individual young people decreasing. Staff use an individualised point system which provides financial incentives and sanctions; this is motivating young people to reduce negative behaviours.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff do not always log incidents of restraint in the services volume and staff have not received up-dates on physical restraint training. In addition, risks associated with incidents are not always assessed to best ensure the safety of all. This compromises young people’s safety and wellbeing.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people benefit from living in a home which provides physical safety and security. Fire safety checks are up to date. Risk assessments are in place for the building. Electrical and gas appliances are regularly checked and maintained.

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Leadership and management

The leadership and management of the children's home are satisfactory .

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Leadership and management

The Statement of Purpose does not provide sufficient information regarding the assessment of young people’s needs including identification of risks when accommodated under emergency conditions. This impacts on staff's capacity to respond effectively to young person being accommodated and has implications for ensuring that the needs of the young person are met and that the safety of other young people is secure.

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Leadership and management

The manager promotes a philosophy of developing relationships with young people that build respect, trust and taking responsibility for one's actions. The staff group are provided with good support using regular supervision, appraisals and staff meetings. Not all new staff have started the Children Workforce Development Council induction and some members have not commenced their National Vocational Qualification level 3 qualification. Physical restraint training is out of date and this compromises the ability of staff to keep themselves and the young people safe.

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Leadership and management

There is a children’s guide in place. The names of neither the young person’s Independent Reviewing Officer nor the Ofsted contact details are included thus reducing young people’s access to independent help.

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Leadership and management

Two recommendations made at the last inspection have been addressed. This has improved outcomes for young people. However, a recommendation relating to young people’s reports has not been met. This means that young people do not have an accurate record on their personal file.

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Leadership and management

Young people and the staff team benefit from positive management and a respectful relationship with the manager. Regulation 34 monitoring is in place but does not provide the manager with sufficient information about the service to identify areas in need of improvement and there is no development plan to guide service improvements.

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Leadership and management

Equality and diversity practice is good .

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